Top 3 Free Agent Pitchers This Coming Offseason

With the trade deadline in the rear-view mirror, it's never too soon for MLB front offices to start planning their offseason spending, as dozens of prime free agents are set to hit the market. 

Here's our maybe-a-tad-early look at the Top 3 free agent pitchers for this winter.

1. Jacob deGrom

Yes, there are injury concerns, but quite simply, when deGrom is healthy, he is the greatest pitcher of this generation. His numbers are insane. Last year, before his arm injuries cost him the second half of the season, he posted a ridiculous 1.08 ERA, an even-more absurd 0.55 WHIP, and a laughable 146:11 strikeout to walk ratio in just 92 innings. 

The four-time All-Star and 2-time Cy Young winner is back now, after a year off, and he's dealing once again, with a 1.62 ERA and 0.42 WHIP in 16.2 innings over 3 starts, with an 28:1 K:BB ratio.

2. Justin Verlander

Another of the best pitchers of the generation, but of an older vintage. The 39-year-old Verlander is coming off a two-year absence due to Tommy John surgery, but is better than ever, with a major league-leading 1.85 ERA for the Houston Astros, a 0.86 WHIP and a 134:24 K:BB ratio. 

The two-time Cy Young winner signed a 2-year deal with the Astros before this season, but has a $25M option for 2023, and the odds are, the way he's dominating, he'll decline that option and look for a ton more on the open market.

3. Carlos Rodon

Yet another injury risk, but Rodon has proven with the San Francisco Giants this season that he's good-to-go as well. The two-time All-Star not only hasn't had a recurrence of his shoulder problems, but he's actually led all of baseball with 23 starts, while posting a 2.95 ERA and 11.3 K/9. His arm certainly seems ok. 

He, too, can, and likely will, opt out of a $22.5M player option for ’23 to join the free agent ranks again.

Photos: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports, Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports